Continuous mining machine with pivot structure for mining head,gathering head and conveyor boom



'NOV. 18. 1969 w. MccRAck N 3,479,090

CONTINUOUS MINING MACHINE WITH PIVOT STRUCTURE FOR MINING HEAD, GATHERING HEAD AND CONVEYOR BOOM Filed April 8, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet l cu N 1- [2 I 00 N o q- O n: rl N N I |i\ .0 5 f m I IL N 0| 8 I b I l r u; V 9 t I! NOV. 18.1969 w MCCRACKEN 3,479,090

CONTINUOUS MINING MACHINE WITH PIVOT STRUCTURE FOR MINING HEAD, GATHERING HEAD AND CONVEYOR BOOM Filed April 8, .1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 u; 9 N L Now-'18. 1969 MQGRACKEN WITH HEAD FOR ets-Sheet 5 PIVOT STRUCTURE AND GO BOO She ..W.E M N-G MACH E GATHBR NVEYOR US GH CONIIINUO MININ Filed April. 8,. 1968 United States Patent 3,479,090 CONTINUOUS MINING MACHINE WITH PIVOT STRUCTURE FOR MINING HEAD, GATHERING HEAD AND CONVEYOR BOOM William E. McCracken, Groveport, Ohio, assignor to Jeffrey Galion Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Ohio Filed Apr. 8, 1968, Ser. No. 719,385 Int. Cl. E21c 25/14, 35/02 US. Cl. 299-64 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to mining machines, and more particularly to an improved construction of a continuous mining machine in which the mining head, the gathering head and the conveyor boom are mounted and supported on the machine main frame on a common transverse pivot structure for adjustment of the positions of these elements of the machines.

A continuous mining machine is characterized by a mining head at the front end of the machine and a longitudinal conveyor that extends from the front end of the machine to the rear end of the machine to convey the mined material to be discharged at the rear end of the machine. There may also be a gathering head on the machine which gathers or collects the mined material from the mine floor and sweeps it onto the conveyor to be moved rearwardly and to be discharged from the machine. The two patents to J. Kilbourne, Patent No. 3,305,273, Feb. 21, 1967, and Patent No. 3,318,638, May 9, 1967, for Mining Apparatus, and assigned to the same assignee as this patent application, describe continuous mining machines of this type.

The mining head is adjustable and movable upwardly and downwardly to meet the height of the mine face and to cut and break material from the full height of the mine face. The gathering head is also adjustable and movable upwardly and downwardly to follow the mine floor in order to most effectively gather the mined material. The conveyor boom is adjustable and movable upwardly and downwardly to set the position of the rear end relatively to the car or other conveyance into which the mined material is discharged.

In accordance with this invention there is provided a common pivot structure for mounting the supporting mining head, the gathering head and the conveyor boom on the main frame of the mining machine in which each of these elements is separately movably upwardly and downwardly on the common pivot structure and about a common transverse axis. The common pivot structure includes a transverse pivot for the mining head, another transverse pivot for the gathering head, and still another transverse pivot for the conveyor boom, all on a common transverse axis. The several transverse pivots of the pivot structure support the mining head, the gathering head and the conveyor boom on the machine main frame and permit. independent movement of these eleice ments upwardly and downwardly about the common transverse axis.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved pivot structure for the mining head, the gathering head and the conveyor boom in a mining machine.

It is another object of this invention to provide an im proved pivot structure for the mining head, the gathering head and the conveyor boom to mount and support these elements on the main frame of a mining machine.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved pivot structure for mounting and supporting the mining head, the gathering head and the conveyor boom of a mining machine on a common pivot axis about which these elements of the machine may be moved for adjustment of their positions.

It is also an object of this invention to provide an improved pivot structure for the mining head, the gathering head and the conveyor boom in a mining machine which permits these elements to be moved about the pivot axis independently of each other to adjust their positions.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter, the novel features and combinations being set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational, view of a mining machine that is constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the mining machine shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the mining machine, similar to FIGURE 1, with certain parts removed for clarity, and with the conveyor discharge boom in an elevated position;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged elevational view of the structure shown in FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5--5 in FIGURE 1 with certain elements omitted for clarity of illustration.

Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated in FIG- URES 1 and 2 a continuous mining machine 10 in which a mining head 11 is disposed at the front end of the machine to be advanced into a mine face for cutting and breaking material out of the face. The main frame 23 of the machine, and hence the entire machine, is supported on endless traction treads 12 which are disposed one at each side of the machine 10 and are suitably driven for propelling the machine 10.

The mining head 11 is disposed at the front end of the machine 10 and is pivotally mounted and supported on the main frame 23 on a pivot structure 20 by a boom frame which comprises support arms 19, 19 connected by a frame reinforcing member 21. The mining head 11 has a plurality of spirally arranged cutting bits 30 and cutting chains 31, 31, the latter to cut the clearance around the drive gear housing for the mining head 11. The mining head 11 is driven by electric motors 27R and 27L through motor drive gear cases 28, 28, universal joint shafts 29, 29 and auger drive gear cases 18, 18 which are mounted on the mining head support arms 19, 19. The mining head 11 is raised and lowered about the axis of the pivot structure 20 by cylinders 22, 22 connected between the main frame 23 and the mining head support arms 19, 19.

A gathering head is disposed at the front end of the mining machine 10 beneath the mining head 11. The gathering head 13 comprises an apron or deck 14 which slopes downwardly to the mine floor. Two gathering arms 15, 15 are mounted on the apron or deck 14, one at each side thereof, and operate with a sweeping motion to gather the mined material from the mine floor onto the apron 14, and to crowd this material onto the forward 3 end of a chain and flight conveyor 16 (FIG. 2). The gathering head 13 may be adjusted upwardly and downwardly to follow an uneven mine floor and thereby to maintain the leading edge of the apron or deck 14 on the mine floor for maximum effectiveness in loading the mined material into the conveyor 16. Cylinders 40, 40 are connected between the main frame 23 and the gathering head 13 for effecting this upward and downward adjustment. As will be described in more detail, the gathering head 13 is pivotally mounted and supported on the main frame 23 of the mining machine for pivotal movement about the transverse axis of the pivot structure 20 upon operation of cylinders 40, 40. The gathering arms 15 are driven by electric motors 27R and 27L, through universal shafts 33, 33, transfer cases 32, 32, and universal shafts 34, 34 (FIG. 2).

The rear discharge conveyor boom 17 is also connected to the main frame 23 for pivotal adjustment about the transverse axis of the pivot structure 20. The boom 17 is raised and lowered with respect to the main frame 23 by hydraulic cylinders 41, 41, disposed one at each side of the boom 17, and connected between the main frame 23 and the boom 17. The position of the discharge end of the boom 17 may be adjusted upwardly and downwardly in accordance with the height of the car or other conveyance into which mined material is to be discharged. The boom 17 may also be swung laterally about a pivot 43. At the sides of the tail portion of the boom 17 there are hydraulic swing cylinders 42, 42, which are operative by contraction of one and extension of the other to swing the tail portion of the boom 17 to one side or the other, as desired, to locate the end of the boom 17 over the conveyance that is positioned behind the mining machine 10.

As illustrated generally in broken lines in FIGURE 1, gathering head 13 includes a conveyor bed 16b extending from a well in the forward part of the gathering head 13 back to the transverse pivot structure 20. A corresponding conveyor bed 16a is formed in the discharge boom 17, and extends from the transverse pivot structure 20 rearwardly substantially to the end of the boom 17. Sprocket-carrying shafts 36, 37 are located in the gathering head 13 and in the discharge boom 17, respectively, and define the terminals of the conveyor 16. The conveyor 16 is an endless chain conveyor with a plurality of transverse flights secured to the chain at equally spaced positions along its length. The chain of conveyor 16 passes around the sprockets of foot shafts 36, 37. When the conveyor 16 is driven, the flights receive mined material from the gathering arms 15, 15 and move it along conveyor beds 16b, 16a to be discharged into a conveyance from the end of the discharge boom 17. The conveyor 16 passes over the transverse pivot structure 20 in moving mined material to the rear of the machine, and passes under the transverse pivot structure 20 in its return travel.

In the operation of the mining machine 10, the mining head 11 is raised to dispose it at the top of the mine face. The mining machine 10 is then propelled forwardly to advance the mining head 11 into the mine face, during which the bits of the rotating mining head 11 cut and break the material out of the mine face. The material falls to the mine floor and onto the gathering head deck or apron 14 to be gathered by the gathering arms 15, 15 and loaded into the conveyor 16. When the mining head 11 has been advanced the desired distance into the mine face, the forward movement of the machine is stopped, and then the mining head 11 is moved downwardly, to further remove material from the mine face down to the bottom thereof at the mine floor, to be loaded into the conveyor 16 by the gathering arms 15, 15.

Referring to FIGURES 3, 4 and 5, main frame 23 includes two upstanding pivot support members 24, 24 oppositely mounted relative to the centerline of the machine. Upstanding pivot support members 24, 24 may be castings which are secured to the lower portion of main frame 23, as by welding, and each includes an outer machined surface 24' surrounding a cylindrical bore 26. Main pivot pins 44, 44 extend through the bores 26, 26 and are fixedly secured to the pivot support members 24, 24 by flanges 44a and a plurality of bolts 44b. Each mining head support arm 19 is pivotally mounted on the exterior circumferntial surface of a main pivot pin 44 by a bushing 49 which is fixedly secured to the supporting arm 19 by a pin 50, as seen in FIGURE 5. A bushing 48 is fixedly secured by the inner cylindrical surface of each main pivot pin 44 by a pin 51, and rotatably supports a gathering head pivot member 46, which is secured to a gathering head mounting collar 47 by a plurality of bolts 52, and which in turn is secured, as by welding, to a gathering head supporting arm 13a.

A pivot or hinge pin 25 is supported by and extends between gathering head pivot members 46, as shown in FIGURE 5, and is held in position by end plates 45 which are secured to the outer surfaces of gathering head pivot members 46 by a plurality of bolts 53. The conveyor discharge boom 17 is pivotally supported on pivot pin 25 by a sleeve 17c extending between side walls 17a of the discharge boom. Appropriate lubricant passages and fittings normally are incorporated for lubricating the bearing surfaces, such as between pivot pin 25 and sleeve 17c, bushing 48 and gathering head pivot member 46, and auger head pivot pin 44 and bushing 49.

The mining head 11, the gathering head 13, and the conveyor boom 17 are all supported by and pivotable about the main pivot pins 44, 44, which in turn are supported by pivot support members 24, 24 on the main frame 23. The three major elements of the mining machine 10 are pivotable independently of each other on the pivot structure 20. Also, as can be seen in FIGURE 4, the conveyor beds 16a, 16b and 16a, 16b merge smoothly in the area of pivot structure 20 regardless of the attitude of the gathering head 13 or conveyor discharge boom 17, thus avoiding snagging of the chain and flight conveyor 16 when passing between the respective conveyor beds on the gathering head 13 and the conveyor boom 17. Conveyor bed 16b terminates adjacent and tangential to the upper surface of sleeve 170, while bed 16a is fixed to and tangential to the upper surface of the sleeve. Bed 16b terminates slightly below and to the rear of the front edge of bed 16a to ensure a relatively smooth path for the chain conveyor.

Having thus described and shown an embodiment of the invention, what it is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A mining machine comprising a main frame, means supporting said main frame maneuverably on a supporting surface, a mining head disposed at the front end of the main frame for breaking solid material from a mine face, a gathering head disposed at the front end of the main frame beneath said mining head for gathering material that is mined by said mining head, a discharge conveyor boom extending rearwardly of the main frame, an endless conveyor extending from said gathering head to substantially the rear end of said discharge boom for receiving mined material gathered by said gathering head and for conveying said material to a discharge point substantially at the rear end of said discharge boom, and mounting and supporting means pivotally supporting said mining head, said gathering head and said discharge conveyor boom for selective independent pivotal movement about a common axis that is substantially transverse to said frame.

2. A mining machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said main frame includes two upstanding pivot support members, one at each side of the main frame, and said mounting and supporting means comprises two cylindrical main pivot members which are disposed one on each of said upstanding pivot support members in transverse alignment with each other on said common transverse axis, and two support arms for said mining head which are pivotally mounted and supported one on each of said mining head pivot members.

3. A mining machine as claimed in claim 2 wherein said mining head support arms are mounted on the outer circumferential surfaces of said main pivot me-mbers, and wherein said main pivot members have cylindrical bores formed therein on said common axis, said mounting and supporting means further comprising two gathering head .pivot members rotatably mounted one in each of said cylindrical bores and connected to gathering head support arms to support said gathering head for pivotal movement about said common axis.

4. A mining machine as claimed in claim 3 wherein said mounting and supporting means further comprises a pivot pin secured to said gathering head pivot members so as to extend therebetween and disposed on said common transverse axis, said discharge boom being pivotally mounted on said pivot pin.

5. A miningmachine as claimed in claim 4 wherein said main pivot members project inwardly toward the centerline of said mining machine from said upstanding pivot support members, and said mining head support arms are mounted thereon laterally inwardly of said upstanding pivot support members.

6. A mining machine as claimed in claim 5 wherein said gathering head pivot members are mounted in said cylindrical bores of said main pivot members radially inwardly of said mining head support arms and laterally inwardly of said upstanding pivot support members.

7. A mining machine as claimed in claim 6 wherein said gathering head pivot members project laterally inwardly toward the machine centerline from said main pivot members, and said gathering head support arms are connected thereto laterally inwardly of said mining head support arms.

8. A mining machine as claimed in claim 7 wherein said discharge conveyor boom has upstanding walls at the lateral edges thereof defining the path of said endless conveyor along said discharge conveyor boom, and a sleeve extending between and connected to said walls, said pivot pin passing through said sleeve to pivotally support said discharge boom on said common transverse axis.

9. A mining machine as claimed in claim 8 wherein said gathering head and said discharge conveyor boom each include upper and lower conveyor beds along which said endless conveyor travels, said upper bed of said gathering head extending rearwardly from the forward end of the conveyor and terminating adjacent said sleeve and substantially tangential to the upper surface thereof, said upper bed of said discharge boom being fixed to said sleeve tangentially of the upper surface thereof and extending therefrom rearwardly to the discharge end of the conveyor, said lower bed of said gathering head extending rearwardly from the forward end of the conveyor and terminating below said sleeve and below and rearwardly of the forward end of the lower bed of said discharge conveyor boom, said lower bed of said discharge conveyor boom extending forwardly from the discharge end of the conveyor and terminating in the area of and below said common transverse axis.

10. In a mining machine having a main frame, a forwardly disposed mining head, a forwardly disposed gathering head, and a rearwardly extending conveyor discharge boom, an improved mounting construction comprising two upstanding frame members, one at each side of the main frame and facing each other, means defining in each of said frame members a cylindrical through bore extending transversely of said main frame and having a common transverse axis, a pair of hollow cylindrical pivot pins, each hollow cylindrical pivot pin being concentrically mounted in one of said bores on said common transverse axis and projecting inwardly from its frame member toward the longitudinal centerline of the main frame, said mining head having support arms journaled for rotation on the outer cylindrical surfaces of respective ones of said inwardly projecting pivot pins, a pair of gathering head pivot members, each gathering head pivot member being concentrically journaled for rotation inside one of said hollow cylindrical pivot pins and being connected to a support arm for said gathering head, a discharge boom hinge pin mounted with its respective ends disposed in opposite ones of said hollow gathering head pivot members, said discharge boom having a cylindrical sleeve journaled for rotation on said hinge pin.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,226,412 5/ 1917 Thomas 299- 1,778,595 10/1930 Hauge 299-76 X 3,307,879 3/1967 Bergmann 299-64 ERNEST R. PURSER, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 299-76 

